Archive for September 22nd, 2011

It is out: BN’s list of 5 members for the PSC on electoral reforms! The 5 persons are led by a Sabahan minister from PBS Max Ongkili, arousing fear of another PSC -on Integrity, led by Bernard Dompok,where an East Malaysian minister was ignored by the government officials and then ended in limbo. The other members are Sarawakian MP Datuk Alexander Linggi, Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad(of disintegrated Badawi’s team) , Tan Sri Fong Chan Onn (MCA’s heavy-weight under Ling Leong Sik)and P Kamalanathan(MIC’s info chief whose electoral win in Hulu Selangor was fraught with frauds!). With such a team who would expect any real changes. May be they could copy Najib’s ISA-repeal by re-writing the 4 election laws and call it repealing the negative aspects of the electoral laws-and replaced by another 4? The list confirmed that previous BN talk that the committee will be run by juniors in BN. That much is BN’s commitment towards electoral fairness.

Science minister to head electoral reform panel

September 22, 2011

Dr Ongkili, the Sabah parliamentarian will lead the highly debated committee.

There is basis to the talk of foreigners getting Malaysian citizenship in Malaysia-the latest evidence come from an Indonesian broadcast here, which shows families in South Sulawesi obtaining Malaysian Mykad and staying in Sandakan. It is now an open information that Malaysian JPN (National Registration Department) is giving out citizenship with dubious criteria-since tens of thousands of people who stay in Malaysia since independence still wait for their citizenship paper in both East ad West Malaysia. Earlier there was another Indonesian report which says that 60% of residents of an Indonesian border town in Kalimantan carry the Mykad! These are all open reports in Indonesian media. What is there to doubt the rot that has set in the JPN, who act under the direction of the government?

From the 2008 GE results there is a study that found a clue to the trend of the future elections: BN has more marginal seats-thus exposed to PR’s capture in coming elections. Thus more states eg Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Terengganu may fall to PR. Similarlt the PR has more marginal Parliamentary seats-exposing them to BN’s capturing. Thus after some adds and substractions the status quo may remain for PR, stalling or slowing their march to Putrajaya. If this observation become true in coming 13yh GE it will means that the change in Putrajaya will have to wait at least another general elections! A more optimistic assessment of the future of election trend by BN, reported below, seems to confirm this view. But you need to discount some how for their enthusiasm and self-cheerleading!

Hardest thing to do: seeing things from the other point of view?

What do you think-the question goes both ways!

The Bengoh film started from a question which ask: why the oppressed voters of Bengoh don’t use their ballot to voice their unhappiness-as all voters are so entitled? It is not apparent that the question is actually loaded-the question’s implied background is urban and mostly West Malaysian oriented! The making of the film actually become an experience to try to see things from another point of view: if you step into their shoes would you vote differently?(more…)